"Stroke! Stroke!" - 5" x 11" - oil
This is my entry into the Different Strokes from Different Folks Challenge. This one was a real challenge because the reference photo was kind of washed out but I tried to make the best of it. I thought about skipping this one but I felt obligated since my friend Clinton decided to start participating. Nothing keeps me going like a little friendly competition.
In other Steven Walker news... I'll be participating in a group show at Art Access Gallery (Bexley, OH) titled "New Work" for the month of July and August. The artist opening is this Friday from 5pm to 8pm. If you know of anyone in the Ohio area tell them to go to the gallery immediately. If they give you any excuses . . . start shaking them but not too hard, just enough to get the point across.
Disclaimer: Steven Walker is not responsible for any violence that may stem from this or any other blog, although there's nothing wrong with a little tough love.
"The James #5" - 30" x 40" - oil
Available at the Glave Kocen Gallery
The past week has been somewhat boring for me. I finished two paintings for the The Arts Company in Nashville. I also completed two Columbus based paintings to take to Art Access next week. Lastly, the painting above was delivered to Glave Kocen a few weeks ago. I should have the mentioned paintings posted in the next week or so. That's enough about me.
In more exciting news my better half and partner in crime, at Davis Walker Creative won a design contest for the Boat Sober New York poster below. The poster was created out of paper collage. Evelyn's design efforts are primarily geared towards designing for non profit organizations such as the Civil Rights Memorial Foundation, Big Brothers and Big Sisters and any other charitable cause. She's definitely the goody good of this tandem and it works. If you have time, go check out our efforts at http://www.daviswalkercreative.com/
"Nature's Fall" - 5" x 7" - oil
I was reading an issue of Art Calendar a few months ago that focused on artists getting freelance work as illustrators. Getting work can be difficult but how you handle the process is even more important. Unlike creating work for yourself, with illustration you're often working to cater someone else's schedule. This often requires long hours, a wonky schedule and patience. I rarely pursue illustration work these days because of my fine art focus but it's nice every now and then.
So a few weeks ago I put everything on hold for a freelance project that came my way. Although it forced me to put most of my work on hold it was totally worth it. My project began shortly after Memorial Day weekend. For the most part the project went smooth because I was fortunate enough to work with a friend (hooray Summer). There were several revisions in the sketch phase before I got the green light to work on the final painting. Everything was on schedule until the day before we had to get on the road. I had just finished the painting when I got the call that some major changes were needed. What can you do? No point in having a hissy fit.
The project needed to go to print soon and so I took the show on the road. I could have postponed the trip but I had several obligations that I had to honor in Richmond too. I decided to take my paints, brushes, my laptop and lastly my scanner to upload the image to my ftp site. After a few hours of painting in the hotel room, I was able to get it all done and sent to the client. It put a little hiccup in the trip but these are the things that you have to do sometimes.
"On the Trail" - 6" x 6" - oil
So let me clear up the bridezilla comment that I made in my last post. No, I did not get married...yet. It's about Bridezilla the television show and the start of a wonderful weekend in Richmond, Va. So here's the story.
"The James #6" - 24" x 48" - oil
Available at Glave Kocen Gallery
So I've been missing in action for a little while. Does this mean that I've been slacking off? Does this mean that I've fallen off of the art map? Lastly and most importantly, does this absence mean that I've forgotten about the people that look forward to reading my posts? Don't stress your brain out too much. The answer to all of these questions is an emphatic NO.
Since my last update I've been working on everything from commissions to freelance illustration and even a few gallery pieces (like the one above). I'm not sure what to attribute to my sudden busy streak but I hope that this news is encouraging for other artists out there. I hope that it's a sign that the work is getting better and more desirable.
In the upcoming posts I'll fill you in on everything that has taken place in the past few weeks from toothpaste to bridezilla. You must be dying with curiosity.
"Aran Island #5"
The past few weeks have been extremely busy with creating works for upcoming shows as well as a few commissions. I'm certainly not complaining. Often when these hectic times come about I tend to think about where I'd like to go for a break. The number one spot so far is Inishmore Ireland. The island is part of a group of three islands called The Aran Islands. The painting above is one of the sights seen from Dun Aengus, a popular fort that sits on the edge of a cliff. If I ever retire...that's where you'll find me.
"Cadmium Light" - 6" x 6" - oil
For the past couple of months I've struggled with themes and thoughts for my solo show. This past weekend, like much of America, we took a trip out of town for Memorial Day weekend. I had about seven hours on the road to think about this show and I still feel like I haven't made much headway. Half of the time I was distracted by the beautiful hills of Pennsylvania and the other half was consumed with visuals of my head exploding into a Jackson Pollock painting if I don't figure this out soon.
I'd like to make the very best of this show because it's my first major gallery exhibition. The plan is to have thirty to forty pieces of various sizes ..."no pressure Steven." I don't know how other artists develop a cohesive body of work. I'm finding it really hard to stay in one place with my work. I'm constantly learning from other artists as well as from my own experiments. I'd love to hear thoughts on putting shows together or what makes a good art show... sound off.
"Madison" - 8" x 10" - oil
Sold
Once again I waited until the last minute to work on the Different Strokes from Different Folks challenge. Normally, it's fairly easy to finish a painting in a day or so but this scene of New York City's Madison Ave. was a tad bit complex. During the painting process I found myself getting stiff and overly concerned with detail. I reverted to a drawing exercise from undergrad. I flipped both the reference and the painting upside down and proceeded to finish it upside down. This wasn't done to show off but to get my mind off of the complex scene. It wasn't long before I had a delightful moment of artistic clarity. The buildings turned into simple shapes and the traffic appeared only as dabs of paint. You could even call it a Matrix moment.
"The Hopper House" - 6" x 6" - oil
Sold
Last week was a slow news week for me. With a couple of sales, I can report that the Art at the Mill event in Berryville, VA was fairly successful. I had reservations about entering the show again because I hadn't had any sales from the three previous times that I participated. Like so many of these events, it takes time to build up a reputation/fan base before buyers/collectors start looking for you.
"A Better Day" - 5" x 7" - oil
I've always had an unusual take on Mother's Day. I'm not going to start bad mouthing mothers because mom is one of the very best. She puts up with all of my shenanigans. She almost always has a grill cheese ready for me when I come over. She supported my career as an artist even when many laughed at the idea. Mother's Day to me isn't about showing her that you love her and all of that mushy stuff but more importantly, for those of you who have siblings, it's about upstaging your brother or sister. It's about turning mom into an emotional pile of goo and realizing that you've won her over once again. I don't know what my brother has in store this year but I think that this year is mine. Here's to all of those moms that support the arts.
"In the Clear" - 5" x 7" - oil
This past weekend I put aside an hour of time to work on my painting inventory. In the past all of the information about my paintings or their whereabouts was tucked away in the dusty part of my brain. Keeping all of that info in my head was like keeping up with a school full of kids single handily. As often as I paint I'm surprised at how long I've been able to keep up with all of these kids...I mean paintings.
Since I've been entering more shows and competitions, this spreadsheet thing seemed helpful. I'm certainly not a spreadsheet guy so for some assistance I hired/forced the services of Cindy, our local spreadsheet guru. Now I know where my paintings are, what's sold as well as how many pieces I've painted since last year (ridiculous). Hoorray for Spreadsheets!
For all of the Marywood alumni, checkout the back page of the recent alumni magazine before it finds it's way to the trash.
"Diana" - 5" x 10" - oil
Sold
This painting is my contribution to the Different Strokes from Different Folks challenge. I wish I had spent more time on this one but the deadline caught up with me. The challenge this week was to paint the marble sculpture of' "A Companion of Diana." With all of the paperwork and larger pieces that I've been working on, I was seriously tempted to skip this challenge. Then I thought to myself..."what am I a slacker?" I can spare a couple of hours to work on this challenge.
"A Fine Power Line" - 12" x 24" - oil
During my last trip to Virginia I did some sight seeing. At the time, I was just snapping pictures of any and everything in Richmond, hoping that I'd have something to paint. I drove down some familiar roads to see what, if anything, had changed. While reviewing the photos I came across a photo of a side street that I use to park on when I taught at VCU. I must have walked, parked and driven this street hundreds of times but that day the light was just right.
It wasn't until after I received a call for entries from the Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Art's that I would find a reason to paint this scene. The call for entries was for the upcoming "Fine Line" Show. This piece was just one of the 61 pieces selected for the show. The show starts Friday May 1st in Fredericksburg, VA from 6-8:30pm.
"Sunset Dr." - 5" x 7" - oil
As of late, I've been working on some larger works and therefore have not had time to work on studies until a few days ago. Maybe I shouldn't refer to some of these as studies. Most of the small works that I post I paint with no intention of making a larger and more finished piece. Often they're done for experimentation. This is one of those experiments and stems from one of my many, "where does that road go" driving expeditions in Westerville.
